


A Chance Encounter

by miitgaanar



Category: Ninja Assassin (2009)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-11
Updated: 2019-02-11
Packaged: 2019-10-26 05:05:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17739551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miitgaanar/pseuds/miitgaanar
Summary: Weird shit goes down in New York City all the time, especially on the subway.  New Yorkers have mastered the art of indifference, looking the other way to avoid inviting unwanted attention in light of less than savory company.  But, as Cassie will find out, sometimes such encounters turn out to be unavoidable.





	A Chance Encounter

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this a few years ago for a writing event with some friends. I normally wouldn't bother posting a piece of writing so old, but Ninja Assassin is criminally underrated. I hope whoever decides to read this enjoys it, nonetheless!

Subway rides were usually the most relaxing part of a New Yorker’s commute, especially if the train car was relatively empty.  Passengers could use the time to listen to music, read, play mindless games on their phones, or even sleep if they were lucky enough to get themselves a seat.  The latter is a lot easier to succumb to than some may think.  Between the repetitive clatter of the wheels on the tracks and the gentle sway of the car as it speeds through the tunnels, many wind up dozing before they even realize it, somehow managing to wake just before their stop and groggily make their way through one of the train car’s double doors, an automated voice crackling over the speakers to announce the next stop.

Quite honestly, Cassie had been fantasizing about doing just that all day.  After being up until the wee hours of the morning writing a paper and then having to sit through back to back classes well into the late afternoon, nothing sounded better than an hour long nap on her way home.  Dragging a hand down her face as the train finally pulled into the station, she glanced down at her phone to see the time and sighed.  It was already after five, which meant she wouldn’t get back into Brooklyn until six, and it would take her another twenty minutes to walk from the station to her house.  And that was if there were no service delays.  

She sighed again. Whatever, it was Thursday and she didn’t have classes tomorrow.  She didn’t have any real reason to rush home other than to finally collapse on her couch and sleep for about thirteen hours.

The train came to a stop with a gentle  _hiss_ as the breaks were applied and the doors opened, the automated voice droning over the loudspeaker as she entered the car and quickly plopped herself down at the end of the bench-like seats.  Cassie finally allowed herself to relax, leaning her head against the metal bar that served as an arm rest as she put her earbuds in her ears.  Oh, she deserved this seat.  She deserved it far more than anyone else on this train.  She had never been more content than she was at this moment.

Allowing her eyes to flutter shut, Cassie listened to whatever music had come on her iPod when she hit shuffle (she didn’t particularly care what she was listening to, she was  _that_  tired), and it took her a few minutes to realize that the usual gentle rattling of the train car’s metal frame was conspicuously absent.  She opened her eyes, only to be met with the same station she had originally been standing in for twenty minutes.  With a groan, she took out one of her ear buds just in time to hear that same emotionless, droning automated voice announce: “…we are delayed due to train traffic ahead of us.  We apologize for any inconvenience.”

_My ass, you apologize._

She leaned back on the hard plastic seat, any drowsiness she felt temporarily leaving her.  Just in case there were severe delays or train trouble, she had to be awake on the off chance another train pulled in on the other side of the platform.  

It was then that a man quickly slipped into the train car, as if afraid he was only just barely making it before the doors shut and the train left the station.  It was a common enough occurrence, and Cassie allowed herself a silent laugh at the sight.  People always looked ridiculous rushing onto a delayed train car, because now they had to sit and wait with the rest of them, and they did all of that running for nothing.

It was a stupid thing to laugh at, but she was tired.  It was allowed.

The man didn’t sit down, however (which was strange in itself considering there were few people in the car and quite a few places to sit), choosing to merely lean against the doorframe he entered through as his gaze constantly flitted between the steps leading down into the station and the passengers. His behavior was strange, but not the worst she had seen in the subway either.  She briefly considered giving up her coveted arm rest seat and switching cars, but decided against it, realizing he would probably know he was the reason she was leaving.

_I’d rather be uncomfortable than upset a complete stranger.  Yay, anxiety!_

Cassie pulled out her phone, pretending to be absorbed with its contents as she got a better look at him, only to completely regret that decision immediately.  He was attractive.  Very attractive.  His shoulder length black hair framed his face perfectly, complimenting his sharp jawline and dark eyes.  And the fitted leather jacket was a nice addition, too.

_Oh, boy I hope this train never moves._

She heard the man mutter a curse under his breath as he quickly shed the leather jacket, revealing his toned, muscular arms thanks to the sleeveless hoodie the jacket had kept hidden from view.  Cassie glanced briefly at the ceiling of the train car, mouthing “Thank you” to whatever higher being was smiling down on her this day.  This more than made up for this already too long of a delay.

As her gaze settled back on the attractive stranger, she quirked an eyebrow in confusion as he dropped the jacket into the small gap between the platform and the train car.  

 _That’s…bizarre_.  

She realized far too late that she had been staring as his gaze met hers, and try as she might to play it off by casually glancing back down at her phone, she knew he caught her.  

_I need this train to move so I can get off at the next stop and immediately throw myself in front of the next train._

To her utter horror, the man merely pulled up the hood of his sleeveless hoodie and proceeded to sit right next to her.  Cassie’s body tensed immediately, trying her best to act unfazed by his close proximity.  That was made impossible, however, as the man leaned into her side and rested his head on her shoulder, his hand coming up to gently, but firmly grip at her wrist.

“I know you don’t know me.”  He spoke quickly, his slightly accented voice only just above a whisper.  There was an urgent edge to it, but even so it remained calm and even as he spoke to her.  “But I need you to listen to me carefully.  You’ve noticed me.  That in itself puts you in danger.  In about ten seconds two men are going to enter this car.  They have every intention of killing me if they find me.”

Cassie jumped slightly at his words, a sharp pang of panic bursting through her veins.  She attempted to shift to look down at him only for his grip on her wrist to tighten, warning her to keep her gaze on her phone as if he wasn’t basically using her as a pillow.  Just her luck.  The really hot stranger on the train was certifiable.  Perfect.  Wonderful.  Thanks, God.

“Do not look at me,” he warned.  “Do not acknowledge me.  I am just a stranger on the subway who has dozed off on you.  Pay me no heed and you will be fine.  Even if anything happens, you’re safe so long as I’m here.  I promise.”  

As he fell silent, releasing his grip on her wrist, two men burst through the still open doors of the car, just as he said.  They glanced quickly around at the passengers, making a show of strolling through the car as if looking for the perfect place to sit.  She heard them chattering quietly to each other in a foreign language, and was surprised to find she understood a few of the words.  Her brow shot up in realization.  They’re speaking Japanese.

Mostly exclamations of annoyance and curses were exchanged between the two, but one word was said repeatedly: Uragirimono.Traitor.

It was at that moment that the train’s automated voice decided to cut through the persistent silence to finally announce their departure, causing Cassie to jump.  The man leaning on her tensed slightly, probably bracing for the two men to look their way and realize their target was right under their nose.  But they did no such thing, the soft  _ding ding_  that accompanied the closing of the doors covering up whatever noise she might have made.  With a slight lurch, the train finally left the station, leaving her trapped with what seemed to be two assassins and their target.  

Cassie’s chest grew tight, her eyes snapping shut as she attempted to keep the panicked tears welling up in her eyes from spilling over.  This was great.  Fantastic.  She was going to be killed on a train by assassins on her way home from school.  She wondered briefly if anyone would have the presence of mind to put that on her headstone.  

Her brain immediately began going through everything she had yet to do in life, angry that she had yet to finish school, angry that she had wasted her life away worrying about nothing _but_  school and letting it dictate how she lived her life.  It wasn’t fair.  What was the point in writing all of those papers if she was just gonna get her neck snapped one day on a tra-?

Her train of thought immediately ground to a screeching halt as she felt a gentle weight fall on her thigh.  She allowed her eyes to open, blinking away the tears as she glanced down.  The strange man, who continued to use her shoulder as a pillow, had allowed his hand to rest gently on top of her thigh, his thumb caressing the denim fabric of her jeans.

“Put on your music,” he whispered.  “Everything is fine.  Don’t pay any mind to what’s going on around you.  Just put your earbud in and relax.”

Ordinarily, Cassie would have elbowed him in the face and quickly risen from her seat to kick him directly in the balls for daring to touch her.  But…she’d be lying if she said his touch wasn’t actually exceedingly reassuring.  His touch didn’t seem lewd or perverse.  It was gentle, calming, letting her know he was still there, that she wasn’t alone.  It made her feel…safe.

Taking a deep breath, Cassie did as he suggested and placed her earbud back in her ear before putting her iPod back on shuffle.  She hadn’t even noticed it had stopped playing at some point between when the man had sat beside her and now.  With a resigned sigh, she leaned her head against the metal arm rest, doing her best to relax as the train pulled into another station.  She could elbow him in the face for touching her later.  For now, she needed to know that she was safe from whatever danger she had unknowingly tripped and fallen face first into.

After what seemed like an eon, she felt the man shift beside her, causing her to glance around the car.  Those two men seemed to be gone.  Maybe they got off at the previous stop?  She took her earbud out, straining to hear any more of their agitated chatter over the clatter of the train on the tracks.

“They moved on to the next car some time ago.”  His voice startled her, causing her to flinch.  He patted at her thigh, and when he spoke again he sounded a lot less tense.  “You can relax a bit now.  I’m not in the clear, but as far as immediate danger goes, it has passed.”

Cassie allowed herself to breathe, her taut muscles at last being given some well earned reprieve as her body was permitted to relax.  It was that moment she decided to glance down at his hand that still rested on her thigh, staring at it with as much indignation as she could muster.

“You know...”  Her voice was soft and shaky, the residual panic making it hard to keep her voice even. “If you’re gonna feel me up like this the least you can do is tell me your name.”

The smile in his voice was evident.  “I thought women liked sudden, clandestine trysts with mysterious men.”

A soft laugh slipped past her lips, her cheeks tinged pink in embarrassment. “That depends on the porn you watch, bud.”

She felt his chuckle more than she heard it, causing a shiver to shoot up Cassie’s spine.  “Raizo.  My name is Raizo.  I suppose the ‘now that you know my name, I have to kill you’ joke would be in poor taste right about now, hm?”

Oh, dear.  He was a  _charming_  fugitive.  Lovely.  Despite herself, a small smile formed on her lips.  “It wouldn’t be the best decision, no.”

The silence stretched out between the two of them, and Cassie finally looked up at the digital board that kept track of what station was next, shocked to see that she was only three stops away from her own.  Boy, panic had its own special way of making time fly.

“Where do you get off, Cassie?”

Her gaze immediately shot down to the man beside her, who chose now to finally push off of her and sit up, removing his hand from her thigh as he met her gaze.  She absently noted that the spot his hand had rested felt rather cold now.  

“ _Excuse_  me?” she finally managed.

“Your stop.”  He pointed toward the digital board. “Where do you you get off?”

“Yeah, I got that.  I’m not an idiot.”  She saw a smile form on his lips at her curt reply and she could have sworn her heart skipped a beat— _Fuck me, he’s still hot_.—but she pushed on.  “How, exactly, do you know my name?  Are you actually stalking me and this was a weirdly specific way to get close to me?”

Raizo laughed again, shaking his head.  “Your phone.  When you were staring at it you left a text conversation open with someone.  Whoever it was had written what I assumed was your name in a recent message.  Good to know I was right.”

“You were reading my messages?”   _Yeah_ , she thought,  _that’s the part of this conversation to focus on._   

“Reading is a strong word,” he said, amused smile still in place.  “I glanced at it.  I’m just more observant than most.  Now back to my original question: where do you get off?”

Cassie had to bite her tongue to keep from shooting back with ' _in bed, usually'_  as she glanced back at the digital board.  “Ah, the next stop actually.”

“Perfect timing, then.” Raizo got to his feet, extending his hand toward her.  Cassie just stared at it.  “I’m offering to help you up.”

“Yeah, I caught that.  But why?”

“I’m going to make sure you get home okay.”

“Uh.  Probably a stupid question, but  _why_?”

His gaze softened, reaching down to take her hand in his on his own.  “I want to make sure you’re actually safe before I leave you.”

 _I am dreaming.  I fell asleep on the train and this is a really bizarre and vivid dream_. “And if those men are still on the train looking for you?” she ventured.

The train pulled into the station as Raizo tugged Cassie to her feet, his grip on her hand firm and strong.  “I won’t go anywhere with you if I think I’m being followed, but I’m confident we’re safe now.  Trust me.  No one can sneak up on me.”

Cassie narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him.  “That’s not really an explanation.”

The doors to the train car opened and Raizo tugged her along, a smirk playing on his features.  “Depending on how the night goes, maybe you’ll get one.”

Dumbstruck, Cassie merely followed him off the train.  She noticed him glance behind them as they walked, his fingers intertwining with hers as they headed toward the stairs to exit the station.  His posture remained relaxed and he glanced back down at her with a wink, leaving her to assume they were in the clear.

She really should probably question  _why_  he was being hunted by two very agitated assassins on the subway before she allowed him to walk her home, but, quite honestly, she was a bit more enraptured by the warmth of his hand protectively gripping hers.


End file.
